“He was persistent.” I admit, glancing up at her and she nods like she knows that shit all too well.
“You look tired, and different. A strong different, but are you okay?” she asks, her gaze searching mine, genuinely concerned like the big sister she is.
When I stop, she stops, and we face each other.
“I’m fine,” I smile gently. “It’s taken some time to get used to all this, but…”
I look around as I continue. “It’s finally starting to feel like home.” My eyes return to her. “You were right. It definitely teaches you some things.”
“And Wrath?” She asks, folding her arms over her chest like this is some forced thing between us.
“It’s totally consensual and mutual.” I declare, my chin raised.
She gives a sharp nod, satisfied with the answer before we start walking again.
“Where are we going?”
“We are heading to The Monster. But you, you’re gonna wait outside.”
“The Monster?” I echo, confused.
“Yeah, he works here, on Cirque nights mostly, but he’s locked up at the moment. He’s a danger to everyone around here,” she says, but her eyes are sharp as they meet mine. “I’m working on teaching him a normal life so he can walk freely.”
I stay silent as she continues.
“He hasn’t seen me for some time.”
“You’re a good person, Noir.”
She smiles before looking down at me.
“And so are you, sis,” she says while nudging her upper arm into mine, almost knocking me off balance.
“Are you ready for Dark Night tonight?” she questions, her curious eyes telling me she’s still wondering if I know everything.
“Yeah, to be honest I’m excited to see what all the creepy fuss is about,” I grin, and she chuckles.
“Well, you’re about to see all right,” she sneers before glancing at the small building in front of us, tucked beneath the trees. “You’re about to understand what Oddity really is and why it’s here.”
“Will you be performing?”
“I will be, yeah.”
A sharp thrill surges through me at her words. I haven’t seen her dance much yet, and the thought of it stirs something twitchy inside me. I’m curious to see how she’ll move and command the audience. And then there’s The Hollows. I’m just as eager to see what horrors they unleash tonight as well.
“The Hollows are different on Dark Night, Ara. They’re not their usual selves. They’re much… worse,” she warns while looking at me. “Be prepared for anything.”
I nod slowly, taking everything she said into thought.
How can Wrath get worse than he already is?
Chapter Twenty-Three
Wrath
Sitting at the kitchen table, I’m opposite Hell and Soul, both just gawking at me. Soul’s green pet lizard, Toxin, is perched on his shoulder, its sharp claws piercing into his tatted skin, but Soul’s unaffected, as usual.
The lizard’s orange eyes are staring at me too, it’s pink tongue that resembles close to Soul’s snaking out now and then, and I start getting agitated.
